Six persons, including a mother and her sons, have been arraigned before a Chief Magistrates’ Court in Akure, Ondo State capital, for allegedly attacking the Vice Principal of Complete Child Development Centre, Temidayo Rotifa.
The defendants, Magdalene Elisha, 50; her son, Collins Elisha, 17; and four others identified as Wisdom Elisha, 17; Kennedy Elisha, 35; Osareti Osesa, 42; and Dorcas Ajise, 55, were arraigned on 10 counts of conspiracy, assault, assault occasioning harm, threat to life, breach of the public peace, impersonation, and attempted murder.
The defendants had a few days ago allegedly stormed the school over the confiscating of Wisdom’s Android phone during the West African Senior School Certificate Examination, WASSCE.
While informing the court that the defendants and others still at large committed the offense on May 29, 2025, around 8:00 p.m. in the Aule area of Akure South Local Council Area of the state, the prosecutor, Inspector Nelson Akintimehin, stated that they beat the principal to a pulp.
Akintimehin also revealed that, allegedly, after assaulting Rotifa, the defendants dragged him from the police vehicle, causing physical and internal injuries.
The prosecutor added that the defendants threatened to kill Rotifa and boasted that they would chase him out of Akure with everything at their disposal.
The prosecution further alleged that the defendants, in the process, assaulted some police officers who attempted to intervene during the attack, led by one Inspector Mathew Idowu, while performing their lawful duty.
Their actions, the prosecutor added, created chaos in the community after they falsely labeled the police officers as kidnappers, inciting panic among residents, stressing that one of the defendants, Kennedy Elisha, allegedly impersonated a military officer during the confrontation.
He further alleged that the defendants, armed with cutlasses, sticks, and other weapons, attempted to set the police patrol van ablaze and endangered the lives of officers on duty.
According to him, the offenses contravene Sections 516, 355, 356(1), 86, 249(d), 484, 126, and 320 of the Criminal Code, Cap. 37, Vol. 1, Laws of Ondo State of Nigeria, 2006.
With the defendants pleading not guilty to the charge, defense counsel O. Adaramola urged the court to grant his clients bail on liberal terms, assuring that they were ready to meet the conditions and provide credible sureties.
He also prayed the court to allow the defendants to remain in police custody pending the perfection of their bail.
Chief Magistrate Sunday Adedapo subsequently granted each defendant bail in the sum of N750,000, with two sureties in like sum, with the directive that the sureties must reside within the court’s jurisdiction and present two passport photographs, an affidavit of means, and valid tax clearance certificates. The matter was adjourned to July 1, 2025, for hearing. (The Guardian)
